ACES ON BRIDGE

The tempter or the tempted, who sins most? — William Shakespeare

Opinions vary as to whether South should bid diamonds or spades here in response to one club. With less than an invitation, you might prefer to respond one spade; the problem with auctions where you bid diamonds is that opener must then either bid a major if he has one (which makes it hard to get to clubs with confidence) or rebid one no-trump if balanced. In the latter scenario, you might miss a 4-4 major-suit fit. Here, in a teams game, South reached three no-trump on the lead of the spade seven to the king and ace. East figured the auction had marked declarer with both missing spade honors, so he found the threatening shift to the heart 10. What would you have done as South after West contributed the jack to this trick? Declarer could see that ducking might leave him behind in the race to five tricks, after a club shift by West. So, he took the trick and ducked a diamond, with West winning his jack to return a heart. Declarer now resisted the temptation to win and play on diamonds — in case one defender had four diamonds and four hearts. Ducking the heart would at worst cost the overtrick, but today it left West unable to continue the suit. West shifted to a club, which declarer won in dummy, remaining vigilant. He led a second diamond from dummy, and even though East tempted him by following with the queen, he ducked again. Now he had three tricks in diamonds and two in each of the other suits.

ANSWER: This hand is way too good to pass now (even though I can imagine that we might not be able to make anything). The choice is between a raise to three clubs and a double. The former suggests extra shape; the latter, extra high cards. I prefer to double, assuming that, if necessary, my partner can repeat clubs. If partner does pass out two spades doubled, I’d hope to beat the part-score on heart ruffs.